Monument record MDR11305 - Clay pipe manufactory (possible site of), Brook Street, Derby

An archaeological evaluation was carried out by Trent & Peak Archaeological Unit at a site south of the junction of Brook Street and Bridge Street in Derby on behalf of Highgrange Homes, ahead of redevelopment. The site lies within the 'West End' of Derby and had recently been occupied by a garage and small industrial works. Maps indicate that buildings and gardens were created c.1791-1806. Intended trenches close to Bridge Street were abandoned because of deep cellars and a large petrol storage tank. Other trenches confirmed the course of the Markeaton Brook through the site, and recovered the remains of 19th century buildings. Their stone foundations, when most early 19th century housing was of brick, suggests a deliberate policy in the area close to Markeaton Brook to counter possible damp problems and to provide solid walling within what may initially have been unstable, introduced soils. A trench near the south-east boundary of the site (trench 5) revealed a scatter of clay-pipe fragments and kiln waste in the ground clearance. The area was subsequently partly cleared by machine and then hand-excavated to investigate whether a clay-pipe manufactory had been present. Over 800 clay-pipe pieces were recovered, including a quantity of decorated bowls. Amongst these were a few that bore the name Cleever, perhaps William Cleever who was a pipe-maker on nearby Willow Row in 1850. Further research may connect other parts of the collected material to other pipe-makers known to have been on Brook Street and Lower Brook Street, although how their waste came to be deposited within the area of trench 5 remains unclear. (1, 2)